Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur faced another ordeal. He returned to the starting lineup in front of his home fans after about 9 months, but was injured again in a rough tackle and ended 2023.
British media 'Football London' reported on the 29th (Korean time), "Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a torn ankle ligament in Tottenham's first starting game in about nine months and will not be able to play for another two and a half months." 'Sky Sports' confirmed that Bentancur will not return until February next year.
Bentancur started as a central midfielder in the 13th round match of the 2023/24 Premier League season against Aston Villa held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on the 27th.
On this day, Tottenham fans welcomed Bentancur’s starting appearance. The game against Villa was Bentancur's first starting game in a Tottenham uniform since he ruptured his left knee cruciate ligament as a starter in the 23rd round match against Leicester City in the Premier League in February of the 2022/23 season.
Because it was a serious injury, Bentancur had to continue undergoing rehabilitation training even when the 2023/24 season began, and was not able to return from injury until the end of October. Tottenham announced Bentancur's return to fans by substituting him in the 44th minute of the second half in the 10th round match against Crystal Palace on the 28th of last month.
Afterwards, Bentancur came on as a substitute in the second half of both league games (Chelsea-Wolverhampton Wanderers) to check his physical condition and gradually improve his game sense. The Uruguay national team, which judged that he had recovered to some extent, included him in the call-up list and headed to his home country.
Bentancur, who wore the national team uniform for the first time in a long time, made his return to the national team as a substitute in the 5th game of the South American qualifier against Argentina on the 17th. Uruguay judged that Bentancur was ready and boldly included him in the starting list for the match against Bolivia. Bentancur played well against Bolivia and showed that there is no decline in skill due to injury. Uruguay and Tottenham fans were relieved. Tottenham coach Anzhi Postekoglou was also satisfied.
Bentancur, who made a perfect return from injury, made his return as a Tottenham starter in about nine months in front of the home fans as soon as he returned to the club. On this day, he was responsible for making many space passes and carrying the ball, invigorating the Tottenham midfield, which was missing attacking midfielder James Maddison due to injury. With Bentancur playing well in midfield, Tottenham overwhelmed Villa in the early part of the first half and even scored the first goal. 안전놀이터
However, after Giovanni Lo Celso's goal in the 22nd minute of the first half, Bentancur suffered a deadly tackle that was almost retaliatory and left the ground during the first half.
He complained of pain after falling after being caught in a rough ankle tackle by Villa defender Matty Cash during a breakthrough in the 24th minute of the first half. The referee issued a warning to Cash for committing a dangerous foul.
Bentancur later began playing again after receiving some treatment, but ended up lying on the ground in the 30th minute of the first half. Tottenham hurriedly brought Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who was on the bench, to the field in place of Bentancur. After Bentancur was left out, Tottenham began to falter and ended up conceding two goals and losing 1-2.
Tottenham, who were mired in three consecutive losses due to the defeat against Villa, were soon faced with the bad news of Bentancur's injury. Regarding Bentancur's condition, the media said, "After a thorough examination, Bentancur has torn ankle ligaments. This means he is not expected to return until February at the earliest, and will miss most of 2023 due to two serious injuries." “It means that it will happen,” he explained.
As he was ruled out for about 2-3 months, Bentancur ended 2023. As soon as he returned from his long-term injury, he suffered another major injury, leaving Tottenham fans and players unable to hide their gloomy feelings.